Insulated rail-joint.



W. S. OGILVY L R. W. SMITH. INSULATED RAIL` JOINT. APPLICATION FILED 1"x:1a..'13,19o94 988,653. Patented Apr.4, 1911.

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W. S. OGILVY & R. W. SMITH.

INSULATBD RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATION FILED 11:13.23, 1909.

Patented Apr.4, 1911.

[NV/.FAVORS W t /Reubenw 3 t l MV1/fanny W. S. OGILVY & 'R. W. SMITH.

v INSULATBD RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED II:1s.23,1no94 988,653; Patented Apr.4, 1911.

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UNiTED srATs PATENT oinnoifv WALTER S. .OGILVYLOF N'EW YORK, N. Y., AND REUBEN W. 'SMITH, OF MARIETTA, SYLVANIA, .ASSIGNORS TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,y N. Y., Al lGOR- 'PORALTION OF NEW YORK.

NSULATED RAIL-JOINT. i f .mi

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Api-.4, 1911.

Applcatinnled February 23, 1909. Serial No. 4f9,4`42.

To .all whom, 'it may concerti:

, Be .it know-n that we, WAL-'reu S. OGILv-r, a subject of .the King of Great Britain, residing at New York city, vin the county of N ew York `and -State of New York, ,and REU-BEN W. SMIuH, a citien ofthe .United States, residing at Marietta, in the county of Lancaster and 'State .of Pennsylvania, have illvented `certain new .and useful improvements -in 'Insulated Rail-Joints, ot' which the following lis a specification.

This invention relates -to rail .joints of the insulated type, and'has speci-a1 .reference tto .certain ,novel .and l,practical improvements therein designed toprovide a .metallic bearing support at the .under sides of the .rail

` rail heads, thereby allowinnr railsto take a *direct metal icbearing-on the.l permitting of the vprovisionI oir-bearings for .the insulat-f` lngunatenial as to .more etl'ectually safeguard under the pres-1 sureof the load imposed .on the rails by the.g

providing 4of such :bearing joint, while at .the same .time

heads,.andia1soto maintain an effective in- 4sulation throughout the-joint.

4Tothis end the invention contemplates an insulated rrail joint wherein no insulation is'y .interposed directly `between `the.heads of the' 'underlying the f rails .and the metallic bars the heads ofthe joint bars, =and the .same from .cutting out passing .Kt-rains.

.arranged and combined out from a `.mechanical standpoint, and .also a .thoroughly .complete insulation of the .presenting a structure .which .may he readily -set up and taken apart and ywhich permits o1' convenient-and .ready insulation renewals.

Inl connection with the -'eatlnremf providing a direct metallic contactl between the under sides not' tl1c.rail heads and the-joint bars undei-'lyingvthe heads,.a distinctive fea ture .of'fthe invention resides indefinitely ing area 'for -the insulating .material is increased Ito a greater extent. -than .the area of the contact/between the under sides of therail .heads and y-the joint bars. Hence, it proposed by the present invention to provide a novel construction, conibination, and .arrangement of .parts serving to in- ,A lfurt-her andgeneral object Vof the invention Vis'to ,provide an'insulated rail joint,` l, "wherein the various.elements thereof are so' as to secure a -lnaxi-` -inum strength and .reinforcement througha construction in :which the bean' crease, in u practical manner, the beating .urea for the insulating?r material, and t'o,de- .crease the fiber strain, thus enablinggthe material to better withstand the loadfji-in posed. l j' j With these and many other objects in view, which will readily appear to those .familiar with the art as the nature .ofgthc invention is better understood, the saine .consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereina'fter .more fully described,illustratedand claimed.

The invention `is susceptible `to a `wide ,range of structural modification .withoutde .parting from the scope thereof, butagfew .preferred embodiments of the invention, .exemplifying the samen-are .shown in tlieac- .companying drawings, in which: g

Figure. l isn lsectional perspective View' of. .u rail joint constructed in accordance -with .the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view ot', the design of ,joint illustrated in Fig. l, the line otsec- 4tion including one of the joint bolts. Figi: .3 .i-s a sectional perspective v icw ot' a modified design of joint embodynn;- the .present invention. Fig. -l is a vertical cross `sec- -.tionul .View o't` the design of joint showniin Fig. 3, the line ol? section including oneydft- Fig. 5 is a sectional. pervvspective Aview ot a Astill further modification of the invention showing other practical designs ,for the continuous splice bars and the .discontinuous bearingl bars. Fig. 6 is it@ .vertical transverse sectional view of thedesign of joint. shown in Fig. 5, the line-.of 90 sect-ion includingl one of the joint bolts.

Like references designate ccnrespondinp, vparts in the Yseveral figures-ot' tlie drawings??- A rail joint. constructed in accordance .with the present invention is characterized 95 by the employment; ot' inner continuous .splice bars at the sides of the rails, outer discontinuous bearinp; lmrsvarranged outside Aot'iil .the splice bars and interposed between the .latter.and the under sides o'tthe rail heads, 100 and suitable insulationbetween the splice bars and the rails, and between Athe splice bars and the saidouter bearilurbars; thli'i said outer bearing' bars .being arranged vto overhang' the continuous splice bars .and .105 having:` bearing.r faces for the .insulation .whosearea is greater than the arca of the j under sides of thc raillheads, thus j'novidiug an' increased bearing for the insulation with .I

a consequent reduction ot the liber strain. This geiieral combination and arrangement ot parts is susceptible to embodiment in rarious forms oi consti-action, and is well ex ernpliliedl by the design of' joint shown 4in Figs. l. and 2 of" the drawings and to which particular reference willtnow be made. rlhe insulated rail joint shown iu said Figs. l and 2 of the drawings embodies in its organization the service rails ll., R, inner continuous splice l, l, the outer discontinuous bearing bars 2, 2, and the usual series of joint bolts 3. The oppositel-y arranged inner continuous'splice bars l extend the full length ofthe joint between the two rails, and occupy positions within the fishing spaces/of the rails butdo not have a direct bearing engagement with the under sides of the 'rail heads., lnzfact, according to the plan of' construction' proposed by the present invention, the inner continuous splice bars l are of a Aless height vertically than the distance between the iinder'sides of the rail heads, and the upper faces of the rail flanges, but when assembled ,inloperative relation to the bearing bars 2 provide a sub-V stantial and secure splice' connection between the two rails of the joint. in the einbodirnent ot the inventionsuggested in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings, the said continuous splice bars 1 are in the form of channel bars with their channeled sides turned inward facing thewebs of the rails, and by' reason of theirchanneled formation, each continuous splicebar 1', as shown in the said figures lol the drawings, is provided at ItheY top edge` of its upright or body member with an inturned substantially horizontal top bearing .flange 4,-an'd at the lower edge of its iup-- right or body member with an inturned 'inclined bottoni'bearing flange 5 overlying the upper inclined face of the rail flange. Irrespective of the general cross sectional design of the individual splice bars 1,-a. distinctiveul feature of the present inventionA resides in providing each of said bars with a top bearing flange t presenting a top surface whose area is'greater than the. area-iol? the under.

side of the rail head and which lies beneath and opposes a corresponding underbearing face 6 formed at the under sidel of' the inturned overhanging top flangey v7 of eaoh'of the discontinuous bearing bars 2. lt will assess outside of the inner continuous splice bar l. This upright girder member 9 is not onlyi provided at the top edge thereof with the inturn'ed orerhanging top flange 7 having the elements 6 and 8, but is also provided at its lower edge with an integral outturned strengthening flange or foot l0 which contributes inaterially to the general reinforcenlent of the bar.

lVith respect to the outer disfontinuous bearing bars 2, it will be noted thatthe same. are not co-extensive with theinnery splice bars, and therefore do not extend the full length of' the joint, as each rai-lend has associated therewith a pair of the bearing bars 2 arranged respectively upon opposite sides thereof and terminating shortot the joint between the meeting ends ofthe. nils, thus leaving an insulating gap Ill be Ween the adjoining bearing bars at'the ysaine side of the rails, which gap is sufficiently wide to perform an insulating unction, though the saine may bc supplied witli..insulating material should it ibo so desireidi To provide Jl'or the 'insulation of the joint Estructurashown in Figs, l and 2.0i the drawings, .side insulating sheets l2, of suitable insulating material, are interposed between each continuous splice bar l. and the pair of adjacent bearing bars Q overlying the saine, said side insulating sheets l2 hav ing upper flange portions 13 lying between the top llmaring flange tot the splice bar and the under faces G of the top flanges 7 of the .bearing bars 2, and a corresponding lower flange portion la lying between the bottoni bearing flange 5 of the splice bar and the upper side of the rail flange,- all of f which is plainly shown in the drawings. A proper bolt insulation may be accomplished through the employment of any of the well known bolt insulating expedients, such for instance :is-insulating bushings or sleeves 15 lining the bolt holes in the splice bars'and bearing bars, and the usual insulating` washers `arrange-dA between the outer faces and the "backing washers at the inner sides ofthe heads and nuts of the bolts.

The insulation between the bolt, elements and the bearing bars 2 is preferably ,ern- -p'loyed to safeguard and insure a `thorough insulation of the joint, though this part of the insulation may be omitted if considered practical or desirable. To complete Athe insulation of the joint described, the usual the contiguous rail ends. :In connection' withthe insulation ot the joint, it is to be' tui-ther 4observed that by reason .of the dis-v coutini'lity of the outer bearing bars 2', that insulation only therefor, that is, having the insulating end post 1G is interposed between Y ter of detail that mayor may not be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention..

- Another practical.einbtuliment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the difference over the joint'already described vbeing mainly one of design in the cross sectional form of' the splice bars and bearing bars with a consequent. change in thc form and dispositiomotthe insulation between said bars. Referring particularly to thismodicatiom it will be observed that while the inner continuous splice bars l are partly of a channeled formation and embody the same mechanical elements as previously described, vet at the same time the said splice bars ot' the modified structure, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, are of an angle bar formation in that the same are each additionally provided with an outstanding inclined foot flange 17 overlying the rail flange, said inclined foot flange extending the full length ot the bar 1 and preferably provided at the center of the joint with a centrally located pendent;- strengthening girder .t8 which gives substantial reinforcenient to the bar and hence to the joint at the center ot the latter. This girder'efl'ect at the center ot' the joint is of practical importance, as will bewrecognized by those familiar with the art.

i ln the arrangement 'of the insulation for the modified design of joint shown in' Figs. 3 and et or' the drawings, the side insulating sheets i12n are providedat their upper edges with the inturned upper flange portions 13a corresponding in position and function to the insulating flange portions 13 previously .referred to` but at their lower edges the side insulating sheets l2 in the modification are provided with outturned lower flange portions it which are interposed between the upper sides o't the outstanding foot flanges li' of the splice bars and the bottoni flanges ttl" ot' the discontinuous bearing bars 2. In this connection, it is to be noted that the bottom 'flanges l0 ot' the bearin r bars 2 are disposed within the vertical p ane of the flanges at the base ot' the `rails, and, hence, lie. within the outer angle ofl the inner continuous splice bars. A fin-ther detail in the insulating ot the modified joint structure shown in Figs. 3 and -1t of' the drawings resides in intcrposing bottoni insulating sheets lf) between the lower sides ofthe foot flanges t? oit' the splice bars l and the upper sides .ot the rail flanges.

ln order toI exemplify the wide range ot structural moiflitication that may be resorted to in carrying out the invention, there is shown in Figs. 5 and t; ot` the drawings a construction.embodying: all .of the mechanical and insulating .features of the joint shown in4 Figs. 8 and l of thedrawings, but illustrating the splice bars and discontinw ons bearing'bars as .beingof approximately plane angle ban formation in cross Section, therebtr. permitting, .of a compact constructloirinvolvinga minimumprojection of the rail .joint .partsbeyonttthe.sides of the rail headswxvhile.at. the same .time i preserving a strongl andsubstantial -joint strl'lcture hav` ingroniplete insulating functions.. Al'so, the modification:shown in Figs... 5 and 6 of the drawings siiggefsts.' theuse ofy angle bar splices. without,,the centrally, located girder 18 hereinbefore referred to;

Other modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in thedart, and it will l be understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor detalls of construction may be resorted to W1thout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of'the' advantages of the invention.

'c claim:

1. An insulated railjoint comprising, in combination with the rails, inner continuous splice-bars extending the full length of the joint, a pair of outer disconnected bearin bars extending substantially half the lengt ot thcjoint' and interposed between 'each splice bar` and the under sides of the rail heads, said splice bars and bearing bars having faces exposed to the insulating material of a greater area than the area of the under sides ofthe rail heads, and insulating material interposed between the splice bars and the hearing bars.

2. An insulated ra1l-jo1nt comprising, 1n

combination with the rails, inner continuous,4

splice-bars overlying the rail flanges and extending the full length of the joint, a pair ot' outer disconnected bearing bars interposed between each splice bar and the under sides ot' the rail heads and :having a direct n'ictallie contact with the latter, each bearing bar extending substantially one-halt the length ot' the joint, the said spl icc-bars and the bearing bars furthermore having faces exposed to the insulating inaterial of a greater arca than the area of the under sides of the rail-heads, and insulating material between the splice-bars and the bearing bars.

El. In an insulated rail-joint, the combination with the rails, of inner continuous splice-hars extending the full length of the joint and arranged over the rail flan es, outer disconnected bearine bars arran e at the outer sides of' the splice bars an vided with inturned top flanges lying hori. zontally above the tops of the splice bars and arranged in direct contact with the nnder sides ot' the rail heads, said ton flanges ha ving hearing faces exposed to the 1nsulat ing niaterlalof a. greater area than the area proof the undei' sides of the mil-heads, and each of said bearing bers extending substantially oneehalf the length of the joints and insu -lating material interposed between the splice-bars andthe bea-ring bars, and also between the Splice-bers and the rails.

4..An insulated rail joint comprising? in combination with the rails7 inner continuous splice-bars arranged in the fishing spaces inl 'tially half the length of the joint and inter f genees posed between each splice ban and the undei' sides of the rail heads, insulating material inteipoeed between the Splieebars and the bearino bars, and insulating me teriel interposef between the splice bars and the mils.l i

In testimony whereof We hereunto aiiix oui1 signatures in tlie presence of two Wit nesses. i t

WALTER S. GGILVY.- REUBEN W. SMITH.

l/Yitnesses BERJA. VTOLHAUPTER, K. RiCN-ALLY. 

